Microsoft: Xbox One performs 10 percent better without the Kinect

Microsoft's Xbox One received a spec improvement last year, bumping the CPU clock to 1.75 GHZ and receiving a faster GPU clock speed (from 800 MHZ to 853 MHZ). On top of that, the Kinect sensor contains its own onboard processor. Microsoft told Eurogamer today that the upcoming Kinect-less Xbox One bundle will perform at least 10 percent better due to the removal of the peripheral.

"Yes, the additional resources allow access to up to 10 per cent additional GPU performance. We're committed to giving developers new tools and flexibility to make their Xbox One games even better by giving them the option to use the GPU reserve in whatever way is best for them and their games," said the Microsoft representative.

Yesterday, Microsoft's Phil Spencer revealed that the developers now have access to the Xbox One's GPU bandwidth, allowing them more flexibility and new tools to make games better.

“Just as we're committed to making ongoing system updates for our fans to enjoy new features of Xbox One, we're also committed to giving developers new tools and flexibility to make their Xbox One games even better. In June we're releasing a new SDK making it possible for developers to access additional GPU resources previously reserved for Kinect and system functions. The team is continually calibrating the system to determine how we can give developers more capabilities. With this SDK, we will include new options for how developers can use the system reserve as well as more flexibility in our natural user interface reserve (voice and gesture). We'll continue to work closely with developers to help them bring great games to Xbox One,” Microsoft stated following the statement on the dev kit update.

Microsoft recently unveiled a Kinect-less Xbox One option for $399, which is $100 less than the current bundle that comes with a Kinect sensor. This announcement that a Kinect-less Xbox One offers a 10 percent improvement in performance only undermines the whole idea of having the Kinect bundled in the first place. It just sends the wrong message - that its better to buy an Xbox One without Kinect.